Swedish The Isolation Process is a newcomer, releasing its debut album, but the musicians all have experience by playing in bands like Lingua and Come Sleep. I do not think many of you will hear a bell ring when hearing those names, but well, they are no beginners and you can hear that. The three-piece is hard to pigeonhole. Their quite ponderous music can appeal to an audience of alternative rock (Tool e.g.), but also metal fans and more precisely those who have a liking for post rock, doom metal and sludgy things, will possibly enjoy The Isolation Process. Vocals are clean, sometimes a bit plaintive, while they evoke any affinity with the mournful chants of Joy Division in the longest track ‘Nothing To Collect’.

But we have found a band in the same vein and this solution came my way when reading the fact that Magnus Lindberg has mastered the album, while it was recorded and mixed by the band itself and Michael Nordström. That Lindberg namely, has also worked with Cult Of Luna and Khoma. Indeed, Khoma, that underrated band I described with superlatives when I reviewed their album ’The Second Wave’. Well, The Isolation Process works with the same dynamics, but a bit more metallic allied.

It all starts with the monotonous, unwieldy riffs of ‘A Simple Gesture’. The clean vocals add a lighter touch, but it remains mostly a soundtrack for very dark emotions. More up-tempo with some hard-hitting slaps of drummer Patrik Rybrand and a prominent bass contribution of Anders Carlström, ‘Visions’ adds a bit more fervency. The slightly soaring vocals of guitarist Thomas Henriksson may initially sound a bit fragile, when he has to reach some higher regions (like in the last epos), he manages to do that very well too. However, the marshy, distorted guitar sound remains the main ingredient. The band often works with heavy eruptions (‘Underneath It All’), but puts two short instrumental interludes on the other side of the spectrum (‘Inhale’ and ‘Exhale’) in which all stays quiescent and atmospheric. In the longer ‘Victims Of The Masses’ there is room for experimentation, with fluttering solos meandering in between the gritty wall of guitars. A sure-fire climax this song has! In contrast with the ponderous riffs, vocal lines are pretty catchy and fetching in ‘The Dead End’. It never gets as heavy as ever ongoing doom metal; therefore this trio shows too much energy. And that is how it stays engrossing, even during the nine minutes long closing track ‘Nothing To Collect’ in which the emotional vocals sound very melancholic and the balance between fragile emotions and rigorous outbursts results in another cathartic composition. For one time, do not think in genres or styles, but open your mind for a very fine album.